Consumers deserve more control over their credit reports

Consumer, civil rights and advocacy groups wrote to members of Congress to express opposition to the Credit Access and Inclusion Act (HR 435). This legislation, if enacted, would reduce consumers’ control over their own data by preempting state and federal privacy protections, damage the credit scores of millions of consumers with a disproportionate impact on African Americans, and conflict with long-standing state utility regulatory consumer protections.

During the various hearings on the Equifax data breach, members of Congress expressed significant concerns over the lack of control that consumers have over their own data with respect to the credit bureaus. These members also expressed a desire for consumers have more
control over their personal and financial information. Yet the Credit Access and Inclusion Act (HR 435) would actually reduce consumers’ control over their own information by preempting state and federal privacy protections for utility customers and tenants.